Wireless actuator service

ABSTRACT

A wireless actuator assembly for use in a building control system includes an actuated component such as a damper or a valve and an actuator that is configured to move the actuated component between a first position and a second position. The assembly includes a short range wireless communication module having a nominal communication range of less than 60 feet and an actuator controller that is operably coupled to the actuator and the short range wireless communication module. The actuator controller may be configured to receive one or more actuator commands from a portable handheld device via the short range wireless communication module and to send information to the portable handheld device via the short range wireless communication module.

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/639,923, filed Mar. 5, 2015, entitled, “WIRELESS ACTUATOR SERVICE” which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates generally to building systems that include actuators and more particularly to using portable handheld devices to locate and communicate with actuators that may be hidden from sight.

BACKGROUND

A variety of building systems such as HVAC systems and fire/smoke control systems include dampers that may be opened and closed to control the flow of air. Some building systems include valves that may be opened and closed to control the flow of other fluids such as water. These dampers and valves include actuators that may be configured to drive the damper or valve to a desired open, closed or partially closed position in response to a received control signal. Because these systems are often hidden behind walls and ceilings, it can be time consuming to manually locate an actuator that is not working correctly. For example, it may be necessary for a technician to repeatedly climb a ladder and remove ceiling tiles to find a particular actuator of an HVAC and/or fire suppression system. This can be a tedious and time consuming process.

SUMMARY

The disclosure pertains to building control systems that are configured to facilitate a technician in locating and communicating with a particular actuator. In one example, the disclosure pertains to a wireless actuator assembly for use in a building control system. The assembly may include an actuated component such as a damper or a valve and an actuator that is configured to move the actuated component between a first position and a second position. The assembly may include a short range wireless communication module having a nominal communication range of less than for example 60 feet, and an actuator controller that is operably coupled to the actuator and the short range wireless communication module. The actuator controller may be configured to receive one or more actuator commands from a portable handheld device carried by a technician or the like via the short range wireless communication module, and to send information to the portable handheld device via the short range wireless communication module.

In some cases, the portable handheld device may identifying a measure related to the location of the wireless actuator assembly relative to the portable handheld device, and may displaying an indicator of the relative location on the display of the portable handheld device. In some cases, the measure related to the location of the wireless actuator assembly relative to the portable handheld device may include a signal strength indicator that indicates the signal strength of the short range communication signal received at the portable handheld device. In some cases, the portable handheld device may send an instruction to the wireless actuator assembly via the short range wireless communication module instructing the wireless actuator assembly to emit an audible sound to provide an audible indication to the technician of the relative location of the wireless actuator assembly. These are just some examples.

The preceding summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the features of the present disclosure and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the disclosure can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure may be more completely understood in consideration of the following description of various illustrative embodiments of the disclosure in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a building control system, including a technician with a portable handheld device, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative wireless actuator assembly as may be used in the building control system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative screen of a portable handheld device;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an illustrative screen displayable on the illustrative portable handheld device of FIG. 3 with the technician positioned as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the portion of a building control system of FIG. 1, showing the technician with a portable handheld device in a new location relative to the actuator assemblies;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an illustrative screen displayable on the illustrative portable handheld device of FIG. 3 with the technician now positioned as shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7A is a schematic view of an illustrative screen displayable on the portable handheld device, showing an illustrative testing protocol underway;

FIG. 7B is a schematic view of an illustrative screen displayable on the portable handheld device, showing an error that resulted from the testing protocol illustrated in FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an illustrative screen displayable on the portable handheld device, showing an illustrative configuration and/or setup screen for configuring and/or setting up an illustrative wireless actuator assembly;

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of a portion of a building control system;

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram showing an illustrative method that may be carried out using the building control system of FIGS. 1 and/or 9;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing another illustrative method that may be carried out using the building control systems of FIGS. 1 and/or 9;

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram showing yet another illustrative method that may be carried out using the building control systems of FIGS. 1 and/or 9.

While the disclosure is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the disclosure to the particular illustrative embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION

The following description should be read with reference to the drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views. The description and drawings show several examples that are meant to be illustrative of the claimed disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of a building control system 10. The building control system 10 may be part of an HVAC system, a fire or smoke control system, a lighting control system, a security system, and/or any other suitable building control system. The building control system 10 may include a plurality of actuator assemblies, many of which may be behind walls, above ceilings, and generally out of sight. In many cases, the actuator assemblies may be in locations that are difficult to physically reach. For illustration purposes, FIG. 1 shows the building control system 10 that includes an actuator assembly 12 labeled “A”, an actuator assembly 14 labeled “B” and an actuator assembly 16 labeled “C”, although in some cases the building control system 10 may include less or more than three actuator assemblies. Although not limiting, in one example the actuator assemblies 12, 14 and 16 may be Variable Air Volume (VAV) damper actuators that control the conditioned air delivered to a zone of the building and/or control the return air removed from the zone. As illustrated, the actuator assemblies 12, 14, 16 are shown hidden behind a ceiling 18, although it will be appreciated that the actuator assemblies 12, 14, 16 may instead be hidden behind a wall or other physical structure.

An individual such as a technician 20 may be seen standing on a floor 22 of the building. It will be appreciated that reference to a ceiling 18 and a floor 22 are illustrative only and are not intended to be limiting in any manner. The technician 20 may be seen as holding a portable handheld device 24 that the technician 20 may use to locate and communicate with the actuator assemblies 12, 14, 16. In some examples, the portable handheld device 24 is a tablet. In some cases, the portable handheld device 24 is a smartphone, laptop computer, a more specialized computing tool, or any other suitable computing device. In some embodiments, the technician 20 may be attempting to locate a malfunctioning actuator assembly in response, for example, to a report that a particular room or portion of a building is warmer than it should be, or cooler than it should be. In some embodiments, the technician 20 may be looking for a malfunctioning actuator assembly in response to a testing report outlining the results of testing done by a building management system (BMS), not illustrated. In some cases, the technician 20 may simply be looking for a malfunctioning actuator assembly as part of a routine maintenance sweep of the building.

The portable handheld device 24 may be configured for wireless communication over any of a variety of wireless communication protocols, including those with a relatively short nominal range, such as less than 200 feet, less than 100 feet, less than 80 feet, less than 60 feet, less than 30 feet, less than 15 feet, less than 10 feet or less. Illustrative but non-limiting examples of short nominal range wireless communications protocols include one or more short nominal range wireless communication protocols such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), EnOcean, REDLINK™, Near field Communication (NFC), RFID, and/or any other suitable common or proprietary wireless protocol, as desired. In some embodiments, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) may be employed.

FIG. 2 provides a schematic illustration of an actuator assembly 26 that may represent one of the actuator assemblies 12, 14, 16 of FIG. 1. The illustrative actuator assembly 26 includes an actuator 28 and an actuated component 30. The actuated component 30 may, for example, be an air damper or a water valve, but is not limited to such. The actuator 28 may include an electric motor that can be actuated to move the actuated component 30 between a first position and a second position. The first position and the second position may represent fully open and fully closed positions, for example. In some embodiments, one or both of the first position and the second position may represent partially opened positions. In an HVAC system, for example, the actuator 28 may drive the actuated component 30, an air damper in this case, to a more fully open position in response to a received control signal requesting additional conditioned air to a zone serviced by the air damper.

The illustrative actuator assembly 26 further includes a short range wireless communication module 32 and an actuator controller 34. In some cases, the short range wireless communication module 32 has a nominal communications range of about 60 feet or less, such as a Bluetooth wireless communication module. The illustrative actuator controller 34 is operably coupled to the actuator 28 and to the short range wireless communication module 32. In some embodiments, the actuator controller 34 may be configured to receive one or more actuator commands from the portable handheld device 24 (FIG. 1) via the short range wireless communication module 32 and/or to send information to the portable handheld device 24 via the short range wireless communication module 32.

In some cases, actuator controller 34 may operate autonomously or semi-autonomously. The actuator controller 34 may include a temperature, humidity, air quality and/or other sensor, and the actuator controller 34 may control the actuated component 30 based on, for example, the sensed environmental condition. In some instances, the actuator controller 34 may be operably coupled to a BMS 36 that communicates with the actuator controller 34 to instruct the actuator assembly 26 to open and close the actuated component 30 as appropriate. In some cases, an indication of a possible malfunction, and thus the reason for the technician 20 to be looking for a particular actuator assembly, may come from the BMS 36. For example, the BMS 36 may initiate a diagnostics test that may indicate a malfunctioning actuator assembly. In some cases, the actuator assembly 26 may include a diagnostic module 35 that may perform or aid in performing the diagnostic testing. The diagnostic module 35, when provided, may be separate from the actuator controller 34 as shown, or part of the actuator controller 34. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative screen of a portable handheld device.

In the example shown, a screen of the portable handheld device may display information regarding a selected actuator assembly. The information can by any suitable information such as fault information, if any, the number of open/close cycles that the selected actuator assembly has undergone to date (Cycle Count), the current control voltage, the current, min and max operating temperatures, the current power supply voltage, and/or any other suitable information. In some cases, the screen may allow a technician to select and then set one or more configuration parameters for the selected actuator assembly. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the screen allows a user of the portable handheld device to select an opening speed for the selected actuator assembly. Once selected, the portable handheld device may send the selected opening speed (e.g. 90 seconds) to the selected actuator assembly, and the selected actuator assembly may then use the selected opening speed during subsequent operation. While opening speed is used here as an example, it is contemplated that any suitable parameter or configuration setting may be set in a similar manner.

The example screen of FIG. 3 also includes a “Find Actuator” button. In some instances, such as shown in FIG. 1, there may be a plurality of actuators within a building control system 10. In some cases, the portable handheld device 24 (FIG. 1) may be configured to help locate a particular actuator using one or more wireless signals that are received from one or more short range wireless communication modules 32. In the example screen of FIG. 3, if the technician selects the “Find Actuator” button, the portable handheld device may display a screen 40 such as shown in FIG. 4, which shows a listing of actuator assembly from which a wireless signal is received, and the signal strength of each wireless signal. In some instances, wireless signal strength may be used as an indication of relative distance from the portable handheld device and each of several different actuators (such as actuator assemblies 12, 14, 16). With reference to FIG. 1, it can be seen that with the technician 20 standing in their present location, the actuator assembly 12 is a first distance D1 away from the portable handheld device 24, the actuator assembly 14 is a second distance D2 away from the portable handheld device 24 and the actuator assembly 16 is a third distance D3 away from the portable handheld device 24. As illustrated, D3>D2>D1.

As a result of the varying distances, there may be differences in wireless signal strength. In FIG. 4, the illustrated screen 40 includes a display region 42 that includes information pertaining to an actuator A (actuator assembly 12), a display region 44 that includes information pertaining to an actuator B (actuator assembly 14) and a display region 46 that includes information pertaining to an actuator C (actuator assembly 16). In the example shown, the display region 42 includes a signal strength icon 48, the display region 44 includes a signal strength icon 50 and the display region 46 includes a signal strength icon 52. It can be seen that the signal strength icon 48 is larger than the signal strength icon 50, which is itself larger than the signal strength icon 52. It will be appreciated that these relative differences in signal strength correspond to the varying distances D1, D2 and D3 between the portable handheld device 24 and the corresponding actuator assemblies 12, 14, 16. Also shown in display region 46 is an error icon 54, informing the technician 20 that there is or may be a problem with actuator C (actuator assembly 16). It will be appreciated that any number of different icons may be used to display information. In some cases, the portable handheld device 24 may triangulate to help determine relative locations of the actuators, as desired.

In some embodiments, the technician 20 can utilize the signal strength icons 48, 50, 52 to help locate the actuator C (actuator assembly 16). For example, if the technician 20 moves in a direction that causes the signal strength icon 48 to start becoming smaller, while the signal strength icon 52 starts growing, the technician 20 may be confident that they are moving closer to the desired actuator C. In some instances, to aid in locating a particular actuator assembly, the technician may select a particular actuator (e.g. actuator C), and the portable handheld device 24 may instruct the actuator C (actuator assembly 16), via the short range wireless communication module 32, to emit an audible signal via a buzzer 37 (see FIG. 2), speaker or other noise making device. This audible signal may help the technician identify the location of actuator C. In some instances, the audible signal may be in addition to or in place of the signal strength icons. In some cases, rather than an audible signal, or in addition to an audible signal, a visual signal may be used, such as a blinking LED or the like.

It will be appreciated that the signal strength icons 48, 50 and 52 will become smaller and larger, as appropriate, as the technician 20 (and hence the portable handheld device 24) moves around relative to the actuator assemblies 12, 14, 16. In some cases, the signal strength icons 48, 50 and 52 will become smaller and larger in real or near-real time. FIG. 5 illustrates the relative distances D1, D2 and D3 once the technician 20 has minimized their distance to the desired actuator C (actuator assembly 16). It can be seen that now D3 is larger than D2, which is itself larger than D1.

Correspondingly, FIG. 6 provides a screen 60 that may be displayed on the portable handheld device 24 once the technician 20 has moved closer to the desired actuator C (actuator assembly 16). The illustrated screen 60 includes the display region 42 that includes information pertaining to the actuator A (actuator assembly 12), the display region 44 that includes information pertaining to the actuator B (actuator assembly 14) and the display region 46 that includes information pertaining to the actuator C (actuator assembly 16), as well as the signal strength icons 48, 50 and 52. Now, in contrast to that shown in FIG. 4, the signal strength icon 52 is larger than the signal strength icon 50, which is itself larger than the signal strength icon 48. It will be appreciated that these relative differences in signal strength correspond to the varying distances D1, D2 and D3 between the portable handheld device 24 and the corresponding actuator assemblies 12, 14, 16.

Once the desired actuator C (actuator assembly 16) has been located, in some cases the technician 20 may utilize the portable handheld device 24 to test the actuator assembly 16. FIG. 7A provides an example screen 70 that may be displayed on the portable handheld device 24 to test actuator C. The example screen 70 includes an icon 72 indicating that the portable handheld device 24 is initiating a test of the actuator assembly 16, as well as an icon 74 identifying the particular device being tested. As illustrated by an icon 76, the portable handheld device 24 has communicated a command to the actuator assembly 16 instructing the actuator 28 to move the position of the actuated component 30 to a 50 percent position. The portable handheld device 24 then receives from the actuator assembly 16 information pertaining to the actual position of the actuated component 30, as shown as an icon 78. A discrepancy between the commanded position and the actual position may be interpreted as an error. In some instances, and as shown in FIG. 7B, the portable handheld device 24 may display a pop up window 80 that provides additional information.

If a determination is made that a particular actuator needs to be replaced, the actuator assembly may provide the portable handheld device 24, via the short range wireless communication module 32, information pertaining to the appropriate replacement part. This may include, for example, a model number and/or serial number of the replacement part. In some cases, this information may include suggestions regarding preferred suppliers, and may include installation information and/or instructions. In some cases, an “Order Replacement” button 73 may be provided, that when selected, may automatically send an order to a suitable supplier to order and ship the appropriate replacement part. A replacement part or parts may be obtained and then installed.

In some cases, the portable handheld device 24 may aid with installing new and/or replacement parts. FIG. 8 shows an illustrative configuration and/or setup screen for configuring and/or setting up a wireless actuator assembly. In the example shown, the illustrative configuration and/or setup screen may be used to select and then set configuration and/or setup parameters for a wireless actuator assembly. The particular configuration and/or setup parameters that are displayed may be communicated to the portable handheld device 24 by the particular wireless actuator assembly. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the technician 20 can select a control signal type, as well as a desired opening speed. These are just example parameters. It is contemplated that the type and number of parameters that can be set may depend on the particular wireless actuator assembly at hand.

In some cases, once a new or a replacement part has been installed, the portable handheld device 24 may be used to test the new or replacement part. Similar to that shown in FIG. 7A, the portable handheld device 24 may be used to send a command to the actuator assembly 26 (representing the illustrative defective actuator assembly 16) to move to a desired position, and the actuator assembly 26 may provide the portable handheld device 24 with information pertaining to the actual position of the actuated component 30 (FIG. 1), for example. Agreement between commanded and actual position indicates a correctly functioning replacement part.

In some embodiments, it is desirable to confirm that the replacement part(s) will correctly communicate with a BMS 36. As shown in FIG. 9, the portable handheld device 24 may communicate with the BMS 36 via a communications pathway 82 that may be wired or wireless and instruct the BMS 36 to send one or more commands to the actuator assembly 16 via a communications pathway 84 that may be wired or wireless. In some instances, the communications pathway 84 may be the communications pathway ordinarily used to send commands from the BMS 36 to the actuator assembly 16.

FIG. 10 provides a flow diagram providing an illustrative method of managing a building automation system that includes a wireless actuator assembly having a short range wireless communication module, such as the actuator assembly 26. In some cases, the building automation system may be an HVAC air handing system, and the wireless actuator assembly may be a wireless damper assembly. A portable handheld device such as the portable handheld device 24 may be used to establish wireless communications with the short range wireless communication module, as generally indicated at block 90.

In some instances, using the portable handheld device to establish communications includes identifying the wireless actuator assembly from a plurality of wireless actuator assemblies. In some cases, using the portable handheld device to establish communications includes identifying a measure relating to the location of the wireless actuator assembly relative to the portable handheld device, and displaying an indicator of the location on a display of the portable handheld device. In some embodiments, the short range wireless communication module may have a range of about 60 feet or less. As noted at block 92, the portable handheld device may communicate with the wireless actuator assembly via the short range wireless communication module. The communicated information may be displayed on a display of the portable handheld device, as generally indicated at block 94.

FIG. 11 provides a flow diagram providing an illustrative method of managing a building automation system that includes a wireless actuator assembly having a short range wireless communication module, such as the actuator assembly 26. A portable handheld device such as the portable handheld device 24 may be used to establish wireless communications with the short range wireless communication module, as generally indicated at block 90. As noted at block 92, the portable handheld device may communicate with the wireless actuator assembly via the short range wireless communication module. The communicated information may be displayed on a display of the portable handheld device, as generally indicated at block 94. In some embodiments, as illustrated at block 96, the portable handheld device may send an instruction to the wireless actuator assembly via the short range wireless communication module instructing the wireless actuator assembly to emit an audible signal to provide an audible indication of the location of the wireless actuator assembly.

FIG. 12 provides a flow diagram providing an illustrative method of managing a building automation system that includes a wireless actuator assembly having a short range wireless communication module, such as the actuator assembly 26. A portable handheld device such as the portable handheld device 24 may be used to establish wireless communications with the short range wireless communication module, as generally indicated at block 90. The portable handheld device may communicate with the wireless actuator assembly via the short range wireless communication module in order to trouble-shoot the wireless actuator assembly, as generally shown at block 98. The trouble-shooting results may be displayed on a display of the portable handheld device, as generally indicated at block 100. In some cases, and as indicated at block 102, replacement information may be communicated from the wireless actuator assembly to the portable handheld device via the short range wireless communication module and displayed on the display of the portable handheld device if a determination is made that replacement is appropriate.

The disclosure should not be considered limited to the particular examples described above. Various modifications, equivalent processes, as well as numerous structures to which the disclosure can be applicable will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art upon review of the instant specification. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A wireless actuator assembly for use in a building control system, comprising: an actuated component; an actuator configured to move the actuated component between a first position and a second position; a short range wireless communication module having a nominal communication range of less than 60 feet; and an actuator controller operably coupled to the actuator and the short range wireless communication module, the actuator controller configured to receive one or more actuator commands from a portable handheld device via the short range wireless communication module and to send information to the portable handheld device via the short range wireless communication module. 